The Case of the Rising Star

by Zavo

  My father picked up the conversation.

  “Even if Warren were to start his own agency in Los Angeles, it wouldn’t be an overnight success. Granted, he’s a known entity in New York City, but not here in Los Angeles. It could take months, even years for them to become a success—if they become a success at all. Plus, if they were to create their own agency, I have a strong feeling it would quickly become known that they’re the nephews of Angus O’Malley. After the business with Lionel Hamilton, that would certainly not have people flocking to their door.”

  I smiled as I realized that my father could still get down and dirty if he needed to.

  “The biggest reason I would take him on is we certainly could use the help. Also, it’ll be easier to keep an eye on him. I’ll let you three discuss it further if need be, but I’m of the mind to hire Warren on a trial basis. Derrick, I’m going to ask that you take him under your wing. Let him partner with you on a case of your choice, or something Daniel is working on. Nothing too involved. Say surveillance, research, or background checks. No face-to-face with any clients till we know his temperament.”

  My response was “Will do, Dad,” although I groaned inwardly at being saddled with Warren. Maybe if I gave him the most boring and hateful tasks, he would become disillusioned, seek employment elsewhere, and leave our family alone. But I knew that was just wishful thinking on my part. Plus, if he had been a detective in New York City, as he claimed, he would be well aware of the drudgery the job could entail.

  Dad finished his brandy. “What do you boys have planned for this evening?”

  “We’re going to a party in the Hills as soon as we get ready.”

  “Okay, boys, have fun. Good night. Oh, one more thing. Dinner with Warren is tomorrow night.”

  There was complete silence after he left. I turned to Nathan and was surprised to see a scowl on his face. He typically gave everyone the benefit of the doubt.

  “What gives, Nathan?”

  He finished his brandy, refilled his glass, and made the rounds, refilling mine and Daniel’s.

  “I’ve only interacted with Warren on two occasions. At the office, when he dropped by for his impromptu visit under an assumed name, and then when he stopped in unexpectedly to see you, Derrick. Both times, I got a bad feeling about him. He’s trouble, just like his uncle. Regardless of what Dad says, the three of us need to keep an eye on him. Are we agreed?”

  Daniel and I nodded our assent.

  “And this little talk also needs to stay between the three of us. Now, gents, I’m going to get ready for the party. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  I was anxious to get Daniel back to our room so I could hear the full account of how he knew the Montgomery brothers. Something told me I had only gotten partial details. Once in our room, we began getting dressed for the party. Daniel remained silent. When it was apparent he wasn’t going to broach the subject of how he previously knew the Montgomerys, I took the initiative.

  “Daniel, we need to talk before we leave for the party. I can tell by your silence, and by the way you’ve been acting since you first heard Calvin’s and Benjamin’s names, that there’s more to the story than you let on this evening. I lived through a relationship with Randall where his secrets ultimately destroyed my love for him. I don’t want the same thing to happen to the two of us. Please, talk to me, Daniel.”

  He sat down on the bed and was silent for so long I thought he wasn’t going to answer me. When he looked at me, the expression on his face made my heart sink.

  “When I first heard the names Calvin and Benjamin Montgomery, I couldn’t be sure it was the same ones I knew in New York. It’s a big city, Derrick. Not till I heard about Warren’s visit to the office, and his brothers coming to Los Angeles, was I sure it was the same three men. When I lived in New York, as I said, our paths crossed on several occasions.”

  He paused, and I felt the muscles in my stomach tighten.

  “While I was in New York, before I met Nathan, I was dating Benjamin Montgomery. It lasted for almost a year.”

  “Why did you end it?”

  “To put it simply, our time had run out. Plus, I met Nathan. He was a much better cut, if you know what I mean. However, we both know that went nowhere. Also, of the three brothers, I quickly learned that Benjamin had the worst temper. Warren is a teddy bear compared to him. He wasn’t happy about the breakup. That’s one of the reasons I was so eager to leave New York when Nathan made his offer. I slipped out of the city without Benjamin knowing.”

  “I’m sure he knows now, Daniel, with Warren being here in Los Angeles. Have you been in contact with Benjamin?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  Christ, I wasn’t sure I believed him.

  “Okay, Daniel. Let’s go see if Nathan is ready and head to the party.”

  I was pleased Nathan had decided to join us at Gordon’s party. He’d been working much harder than the rest of us, and deserved a break. Plus, he hadn’t dated anyone since his return from New York City. This party would be a great opportunity for him to meet someone. We decided to all ride together, which necessitated us borrowing Dad’s Cadillac. Nathan opted to drive, while I gave directions when needed. As we climbed steadily into the Hills, we passed many lighted mansions sitting majestically on their acres and acres of grounds.

  When we arrived at Gordon’s estate, we met a line of cars being slowly directed through the black wrought-iron gates. Even at this distance you could hear the music and the sounds of people. It took us several minutes to make our way inside, and the circular driveway was jammed with vehicles, but parking had been cordoned off on several sections of the lawn. When we pulled up opposite the grand front steps, a valet appeared and parked our car. We joined the flow of people going up the steps and into the house.

  Once inside, I noticed Gordon had obviously found a decorator he could work with; the house was beautifully furnished.

  We headed to the bar, where Nathan ordered bourbons all around. He soon disappeared in the mass of people, and Daniel and I made our way to the billiards room. After several games of pool, and much alcohol, I realized I hadn’t seen Nathan for several hours. When I mentioned this to Daniel he just shrugged it off.

  “He’s probably chatting up some Hollywood starlet. Why don’t you grab us another bourbon? I’ve had enough of the champagne.”

  I’d just ordered two bourbons from the waiter when I saw Gordon across the room. When I caught and held his eye, he put two fingers to his lips and smiled. The implication was not lost on me. Daniel was shooting pool, so I didn’t ask him to join us. I watched as Gordon left the billiards room. I counted to one hundred before following him. When I stepped into the hallway, he was at the far end before an open door, motioning for me to join him. When I did, I found myself in his study. He pulled a good-sized marijuana cigarette from the desk drawer and lit it with a match from a pack he found on the desktop. As he handed the cigarette to me, I inhaled deeply, almost immediately feeling the effects. As we continued to share the reefer, I was getting very stoned. When the cigarette was too tiny to hold, I set it in the ashtray on the desk. When I turned to face Gordon, he dropped to his knees in front of me and undid my pants. He pulled them to the floor, along with my briefs, and took my soft cock into his mouth. He quickly brought me to full hardness and began sucking noisily, using his tongue as well as his fingers to push my arousal over the edge. It wasn’t long before I was spewing into him. He helped me adjust myself, laughing as he did so, then took me in his arms and kissed me.

  “I’m glad you came tonight, Derrick. Are you having a good time?”

  “I am, Gordon.”

  “Good. Sorry I can’t stay longer, but it’s important I mingle at these parties.”

  “Understood, Gordon. I’m a big boy.”

  “You are indeed, Derrick Steele.”

  He kissed me deeply and left the study. I gave him several minutes’ head start before returning to the billiards room. Daniel was still hold
ing the table.

  After several more hours of pool, I was very drunk as well as stoned and ready to leave.

  “Are you ready to head home, Daniel?”

  “I am.”

  “Okay, let me find Nathan and we’ll go.”

  It took me several minutes to find Nathan. He was sitting on a settee in the second-floor hallway. Next to him was Stella Langton. Standing and facing them was a tall, rugged man. I placed him in his mid-thirties. He was incredibly handsome, with black wavy hair. I grabbed a drink from a passing waiter and made my way to them.

  When Nathan struggled to rise at my approach, I realized several things: He was pretty drunk and, if I was not mistaken, also smelled of reefer. The latter meant his inhibitions were very low or nonexistent. Reefer had that effect on him. This fact was supported by the way he was leering up at the man standing and facing him. However, he also had his arm around Stella, and she wasn’t complaining about the attention. As I approached, he leaned into her and kissed her soundly on the lips. I also noticed he was deliberately fondling her left breast. I wondered where Jerome was.

  “No need to rise on my account, Nathan. Good evening, Stella. How are you?”

  “I’m good, Derrick, and you? It’s nice to see you again.”

  “I’m fine, thanks.”

  Nathan couldn’t hide his surprise at the fact that we knew each other.

  “Who’s your friend, Nathan?”

  Before he could reply, I had already turned to the man and extended my hand. A thick, black mustache and piercing blue eyes added to his good looks. That’s when it dawned on me where I had seen him before: He was Jack Caldwell, former quarterback for the Chicago Bears. He was certainly a long way from home. He flashed me a dazzling smile as he extended his right hand. The back of it was covered with thick, black hair. His hand was rough, his handshake firm, as one would expect from a football player. He was a good six inches taller than me, and at least fifty pounds heavier. A scar, several inches long, ran down his right cheek.

  “Hi, I’m Jack Caldwell.”

  “Hello, Jack. I’m Derrick, Nathan’s younger brother. It’s nice to meet you. What brings you to California?”

  “It’s nice to meet you as well, Derrick. I was simply looking for a change of scenery.”

  As we shook he favored me with a dazzling smile. “I see good looks run in the family.”

  I smiled in response and turned back to Nathan. “You look like you’re ready to head home, big brother. Unless, that is, you’ve received a better offer.”

  Both Stella and Jack laughed heartily as Nathan continued to favor both of them with his dazzling smile. It took him a moment to realize I was speaking to him.

  “I think I am, brother. Grab Daniel, and the five of us can continue this party back at the house. Stella and Jack, would you care to join us?”

  “Let’s make it another time, Nathan. I need to find my husband. He has an early call tomorrow on the set. It was a pleasure to meet you, Nathan. Perhaps we could have dinner some night this week. Derrick, it was nice to see you again. Have a good evening.”

  “You too, Stella.”

  The three of us watched her walk away.

  “She sure is a beautiful woman. Wouldn’t you agree, little brother?”

  “I agree, Nathan.”

  With Stella gone, Nathan turned his full attention back to Jack. “Jack, are you free to join us?”

  “That sounds like a great plan, Nathan.”

  I smiled. The sexual tension between them was obvious. I had a feeling this was going to turn into a very interesting evening. I wondered how far Nathan would let this go. My mind went of its own accord to the night at Lionel Hamilton’s party. The night Nathan had confessed his one-sided dalliances with Teddy Stillson.

  Who was I to judge?

  “Okay, then. Let me find Daniel and we’ll swing back here and grab the two of you. I’ll leave you in Jack’s capable hands till I return.”

  Daniel was still in the billiards room when I returned. A young man, plainly drunk, was talking to him animatedly. Daniel looked relieved when he saw me approaching. He stood up and came toward me, effectively ending the young man’s speech.

  “Derrick, it’s so nice to see you. I’ve been dying to catch up with you all evening.”

  He threw a hasty “nice talking to you” over his shoulder, looped his right arm in mine, and literally dragged me away.

  “Thanks for rescuing me, lover boy. I couldn’t take another minute listening to that boring young man prattle on about himself and his nonexistent film career. Did you find Nathan?”

  As I filled him in on the Nathan situation and the fact that we were all heading home, he expressed the same thought I had.

  “So, Nathan’s being seduced and he doesn’t even know it!”

  I thought for a moment before replying.

  “Well, Nathan is not a stranger to the charms of men, although to my knowledge he has always been on the receiving end of things. I think he knows what’s going on. Truth be told, he seems to be enjoying it.”

  At Daniel’s cry of surprise, I told him about the Teddy Stillson incidents. When I was finished, Daniel remained silent for several minutes. When I turned to look at him, I noted he had an odd expression on his face.

  “Daniel, we’ve never spoken of this, and I never thought to ask you, but back in New York City, when you and Nathan were roommates, did anything happen between the two of you that I should know about? I know you were attracted to him.”

  “I probably should have told you this before, Derrick, but, yes, something did happen between me and your brother. But only a few times, and we were both quite drunk each time. As with Teddy, I was giving and he was receiving.”

  “I don’t need to hear the specific details, Daniel. What happened in the past is in the past. It can’t be taken back, forgotten, or fixed. God knows I was no angel. Why don’t you go and have the valet bring the car around? I’ll grab Nathan and Jack and meet you out front.”

  With that said, I climbed the stairs and headed to the hallway where I had left the two men. I wasn’t surprised to see they were no longer there. Without too much effort I found them down the hall, in a dimly lit library. And they weren’t reading the Bible. Nathan was sitting in a leather chair, his pants and briefs bunched at his ankles. Jack was kneeling between his spread legs, doing a great job of swallowing Nathan’s massive cock. Nathan looked up as we approached, but made no effort to rise or hide what was going on. He was clearly enjoying Jack’s ministrations.

  “I hate to be a party pooper, boys, but Daniel has gone to have the valet retrieve our car. We don’t want to keep him waiting. You can finish when we get back to the house.”

  In response, Jack released Nathan’s cock, grabbed his hand, and pulled him to his feet. He bent and tugged up Nathan’s pants. To my surprise, he kissed Nathan ardently on the mouth. Nathan did not resist, but returned the kiss, pressing against Jack urgently. As he did, his hand went to Jack’s crotch and grabbed his cock through his gray trousers. I could see its outline, even from where I stood. The men locked lips for a full minute before Jack gently disentangled Nathan.

  “Let’s not keep your little brother waiting, Nathan.”

  Nathan’s only response was a smile. I grabbed his arm and helped him out the library door, down the stairs, and to the front door with Jack trailing us.

  Gordon was standing by the front door as we approached. “Leaving so soon, Derrick?”

  “Yes, Gordon. Nathan is quite drunk, and I need to get him home. I had a great time. Thanks for the invite.”

  “My pleasure, Derrick. I’ll give you a call in the morning. Sleep tight.”

  Daniel was waiting in the car as we descended the steps. I helped Nathan into the back passenger’s seat, and Jack climbed in behind him. We hadn’t even made it out the gate when the sounds of avid sucking reached the front seat. This was punctuated by my brother’s soft moans and words of encouragement to Jack. I glanced over at
Daniel, and he smiled at me and ran his tongue over his lips. I didn’t need to be asked twice. He unbuttoned his pants as I slid to the middle of the seat.

  “Keep your eyes on the road is all that I ask, Mr. McAllister. If we get in an accident, this will be pretty hard to explain.”

  “Don’t worry, Derrick.”

  I pulled Daniel’s cock free and began bobbing on it in earnest. Behind us could be heard the sounds of my brother’s impending orgasm, punctuated by the words “Suck it, Jack,” over and over. I realized Daniel had pulled off the road. Before we had even made a complete stop he was filling my mouth with his come. Daniel bent down and kissed me on the lips, then pulled back onto the road. We had driven about a mile when two sets of soft snores came from the backseat. We drove the rest of the way home in silence. Once at the gate, we woke Charles and were soon safely in the garage. Nathan immediately woke up and was overly amorous once more. When Jack and I helped him out of the backseat, he slung his arm around my shoulder.

  “Thanks for taking care of me, Derrick.”

  “What are little brothers for, Nathan?”

  Thankfully, my parents would be in bed, hopefully fast asleep. Jack and I helped Nathan out of the car and into the house. Once inside we went as quietly as we could to the billiards room.

  “Why don’t you rack a game, Daniel, while I get us drinks? Is beer okay with everyone, or more bourbon? Do you guys even need anything more to drink?”

  Jack responded for both of them: “We’re good, Derrick. Thanks!”

  Nathan and Jack sat on the couch while Daniel and I began playing pool. Only a few balls had been sunk when the action on the couch far outstripped the action on the table. I was just leaning over to take my next shot when Nathan lay against the end of the couch, facing Jack, and spread his legs. The invitation would not have been lost on a Catholic girl. Jack slid to him and began rubbing Nathan’s crotch, quickly resulting in an enormous mound. Jack promptly unbuttoned Nathan’s pants, freed his cock, and proceeded to suck it in earnest.